341 movies were submitted, and nominating committees of “writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, actors, critics, casting directors, film festival programmers, and other working film professionals” chose their favorites. (What, no caterers?) Those votes were tallied and the results are the nominees below, for the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards, generally regarded as the most important and prestigious awards for independent film in the country.
“I think it’s harder – as hard as it’s ever been – to get stories like this made,” said writer-director Ira Sachs of ‘Love Is Strange,’ his latest film starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as an elderly gay couple living in New York City...